Smoke & Mirrors Tavern Series by Ember Morgan

Royce:I might be known as the grump that runs the local shifter bar to most, but after being forced to flee the hometown that turned on us in order to protect my nephew, that’s how I prefer it. Becoming a single father overnight required all of my focus anyway, but now that my nephew is older and finding his own way, I don’t know how to be anything else. Not sure I want to... moreRoyce:I might be known as the grump that runs the local shifter bar to most, but after being forced to flee the hometown that turned on us in order to protect my nephew, that’s how I prefer it. Becoming a single father overnight required all of my focus anyway, but now that my nephew is older and finding his own way, I don’t know how to be anything else. Not sure I want to. The only problem is, the glares and growls that have kept everyone else away for years don’t seem to affect the beautiful crow I can’t keep my eyes off of at all.And when I find out the flirty bird is in trouble, my bear’s protective streak won’t let me ignore the instincts telling me the crow is mine. Even if I’m not quite ready to admit it. I’m not sure we’ll survive the road trip I’ve somehow volunteered myself for, but whether opposites prove to clash or attract, it’ll be a hell of a ride.Damien:It might look like I have my life together, but behind the flirting and charm, it’s all just a carefully crafted tower of dominoes, one teetering piece away from crashing down around me. After a painful betrayal forced me to start over with nothing, I’m finally building something I’m proud of, relationships I can see growing, work that matters. So when the dark past I thought I’d escaped isn’t as gone as I thought, fleeing is no longer an option. I’m going to have to face the things I ran away from before the people I care about end up paying the price.Goddess knows, I’ve got enough on my plate trying to keep the past from repeating itself, but I can’t manage to shake my obsession with the sexy bear that makes me feel safe while everything is falling apart. Royce is a walking fantasy and I can’t help but want to ruffle the growly man’s feathers… er, fur, but how do I move on from a past that won’t stay in the past, especially when it’s my own instincts I can’t trust?Pick Your Poison is book one in the Smoke & Mirrors Tavern series. It is an MM opposites attract steamy shifter romance at around 64k words. It is recommended that this book be read after The Contractor’s Curse series for the best reading experience, however it can be read as a standalone. less

Maddox: Contrary to popular belief, I don't actually enjoy being the guy who’s always ruining everyone’s night, but as it turns out, that’s what I’m good at. And the local wolfpack likes to make sure I get more than my share of practice. But while the unruly crew was once the main source of my frustrations, now they're just one more thing I have to keep under control while the real threat is circling my bar, waiting for the opportunity to strike... moreMaddox: Contrary to popular belief, I don't actually enjoy being the guy who’s always ruining everyone’s night, but as it turns out, that’s what I’m good at. And the local wolfpack likes to make sure I get more than my share of practice. But while the unruly crew was once the main source of my frustrations, now they're just one more thing I have to keep under control while the real threat is circling my bar, waiting for the opportunity to strike.Just one more reason I can’t let myself get distracted by the gorgeous stranger who turns out to be part of the very pack that lives to drive me nuts. Bad timing aside, we’re a match made in no way in hell - not a thing about us makes sense. So why aren’t I walking away?The Tavern is more than just a job to me. It's the place that took me in when I had nothing else, and I’ll be damned if I let anyone destroy it. As head of security, the responsibility falls squarely on my shoulders. But as the threats keep piling up, it might be time to accept a little help. Even if it’s from the last crew on earth I want to deal with.Colton:There are a lot of things I didn’t expect when I returned home after years away. Like the rogue wolves that have suddenly taken an interest in my town, or the new shifter bar my packmates frequent on our nights away from the firehouse. The way a certain uptight security mage makes my stomach tighten every time he turns that glare my way. Or the strangely possessive urge I have to stake my claim on both the man and his tavern. It’s safe to say we didn’t get off on the right foot, but something about the mage makes me want to mess up that tightly wound control he clings to and everything he’s holding back. Maddox doesn’t let anyone get close, and the more I learn about his past, the more I understand why. He can’t see that I could never leave him the way too many others did — because he doesn’t know I’m his mate. But will the truth bring us closer or send him running?If we can’t fix our growing rogue problem, I won’t get the chance to find out.Hair of the Wolf is a steamy MM Paranormal Romance Opposites Attract/Enemies to Lovers novel at around 69k words. With an uptight mage who needs to learn to let go, and a persistent wolf and his unruly pack who are determined to teach him their ways - one way or another. This book slightly overlaps the end of Book 1 Pick Your Poison and while it can be read as a standalone, it is recommended that Book 2 be read after The Contractor’s Curse Series (RH/MMFM) and Smoke & Mirrors Tavern Book 1 (MM). This book is not recommended for anyone under eighteen due to swearing and sexual content. less

SAGEY’know what sucks? Being born into a powerful witch line, grandson to one of the strongest witches in the east, only to end up with no magic of my own. That’s life, I guess. But just because my ancestors abandoned me, doesn’t mean I’m going to live my life like a good little human, especially while there’s trouble going down in Eastbend. A good reporter always gets his story, but the hunters in this town just don’t seem to appreciate my work... moreSAGEY’know what sucks? Being born into a powerful witch line, grandson to one of the strongest witches in the east, only to end up with no magic of my own. That’s life, I guess. But just because my ancestors abandoned me, doesn’t mean I’m going to live my life like a good little human, especially while there’s trouble going down in Eastbend. A good reporter always gets his story, but the hunters in this town just don’t seem to appreciate my work.Generations of Blackwood witches before me called Eastbend home, and I’ve been lucky enough to find a group that’s accepted me into their fold despite being the odd human out. Then there’s the gorgeous, newly turned vampire who insists on shutting himself off from the world, and I’ve made it my mission to disturb his self-imposed isolation. Clearly my talents are needed here, and I’ll be damned if I let a little thing like having no magic keep me on the sidelines.Only problem is, things have been weird since I found myself back in this town. And the more I dig into the story in Eastbend, the more I find out about myself. Keeping up with the mystics and shifters is a tough job, but that doesn’t explain the blackouts I’ve been having, or the times I’ve narrowly escaped the hunter’s revenge.Luca is finally starting to accept my presence in his life, but that means these strange events have caught his attention. The ex-cop in him wants to unravel all my secrets, and I’ve got plenty, but it’s starting to look like there’s something even I don’t know.LUCAY’know what sucks? Getting the job you’ve dreamed of since you were a kid and having to go against orders to do the right thing, only to get shot by someone you thought you knew. Losing your job, your identity, your life, and everything you thought you knew about the world.I may have gotten a second chance, but this “life” isn’t an easy one and I’ve been fighting a battle with myself every moment since I woke up a vampire. The price for defying death is steep and I’m struggling. While everyone else gave me space to deal, Sage has been a persistent presence, refusing to keep his distance, and forcing me to face my humanity. He’s a temptation unlike I’ve ever known. Beautiful, alluring, and his little crush makes his scent deepen into something irresistible. Every moment he’s around me is torture, but I crave it all the same. And no matter how much I push him away, he always comes right back.Sage trusts me more than I trust myself. He still looks at me the same way he did when I was human and I’m slowly becoming addicted to all the little ways he still makes me feel like one. Somehow he breaks through the dark, the cold, the lifeless, tasteless void the world has become and he makes me feel things I thought I’d never experience again. Whether I wanted Sage was never the issue, but he’d be safer if we went our separate ways. Or so I thought. Until I discovered the things he’s been doing to keep up with the tavern crew. It’s not at all what I expected out of the straight-laced, buttoned up nerd, but it turns out Sage is full of secrets. And the more I learn about him, the deeper this rabbit hole goes.A Shot in the Dark is a steamy MM romance/urban fantasy about a nerdy and persistent reporter and a newly turned vampire who's struggling to adjust. It is a friends to lovers full-length novel at about 97k words. This book is part of a series and it is recommended that it be read after Smoke & Mirrors Tavern books 1-5. This book is not recommended for anyone under the age of 18 due to sexual content. less